WF Features

Glasgow City named Team of the Year

Glasgow City club manager Laura Montgomery described winning the 'Team of the Year' award as "An incredible honour."

Scotland's top women's team scooped the prize at the sportscotland Scottish Sports Awards, sponsored by the Sunday Mail.

The awards are Scotland’s showpiece event to celebrate all levels of sporting success across the nation and brought together some of the most famous faces in sport for the glittering night at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow.

Hosted by Sky Sports presenter Jim White the evening was a fantastic celebration of sport.

Glasgow City’s continued dominance of the domestic game and in particular the record breaking achievement of winning two trebles in a row, combined with reaching the last 16 in the Champions League, convinced the judges that City are Scotland’s Team of the Year for 2013.

Megan Sneddon named Players' Player of the Year at Scottish Women's Awards

Written by Administrator.

Megan Sneddon has been named The Scottish Sun Players' Player of the Year at the 2013 Ladbrokes Scottish Women’s Football Awards.

The Rangers midfielder lifted the top award at the fifth annual awards ceremony at Hampden Park, after topping the four-strong short-list of players, voted for by fellow players across the divisions in Scotland.

Women's Football - The Evolution

Written by Stacey Topley.

On 8th July 2013 the FA celebrated 20 years of running women’s football. However when you consider that the FA was founded in 1862 and the first women’s football match was in 1895 it is clear to see that they have had a lot to contend with over the past years.

After 26 years of women’s football, including international games and an attendance of 53,000 to watch Dick, Kerr’s ladies on Boxing Day, the FA banned women from playing on Football League grounds saying: “…the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged.”

However, this did not stop Dick, Kerr’s Preston Ladies F.C. from playing. They had to seek out more obscure and unconventional locations but they still had an average of 5,000 attendees at their matches throughout the 1930s, including games against Edinburgh Ladies.

In 1969 representatives from 44 women’s football clubs formed together and with the help of Arthur Hobbs and Patricia Gregory the Women’s FA was founded, originally named the Ladies FA of Great Britain.

Just two years after the WFA was formed, the FA lifted the ban and finally allowed women to play on the grounds of affiliated football clubs, which enabled the first WFA Cup final and the first official women’s international to be held in Britain, whereby England beat Scotland 3-2.

Women's Fifa World Cup 2015 qualifiers: Round-up

Germany started their campaign in emphatic fashion, with a resounding 9-0 win against Russia. It is the Republic of Ireland who lead the group though, having played a game extra.

Julie Russell and Glasgow City's Denise O'Sullivan both scored in the second half to give them a winning start at home to Slovakia, while Diane Caldwell's 94th minute equaliser saved a point away to Croatia.

Next fixtures: Slovenia v Germany, Croatia v Slovakia.

Group 2

Italy are leading the pack after two games, opening with a 5-1 win away to Estonia. Next they faced Romania, who had opened with an impressive 9-1 win against Macedonia.

Despite one way traffic for the whole game - the Italians had 14 attempts at goal compared to Romania's single effort, and 15 corners to 0 - it looks like the visitors would grab a point, before substitute Cristiana Girelli notched the winner in the 93rd minute.

Spain have yet to start their campaign in the group, and their game against Italy at the end of October is likely to be a strong indicator of who will win the group.

Hamilton Accies girls U15s positive about future

Written by Colette Carr.

ACCIES U15s have had a busy mid-season break, preparing for their promotion to the Performance League and settling in a handful of new players.

After their success in the Development league prior to the break, the squad is looking forward to the challenge of playing against some of the best youth teams in the country. Indeed their first match in the new league resulted in a fine performance and result against Glasgow Girls, marking a positive start to the campaign.

With a large percentage of the squad still with at least one year left at 15s, the future is bright for this age group. Further boosts have come with Caitlin Kelly, Rhiannan Brown, Megan Quigely, and Kirsty Fraser all receiving call-ups to national squad training camps in recent months.

Coach Ryan Gemmell is very positive about the experience the girls will gain from the remainder of the 2013 campaign: “I think going into the season we were confident that the girls would compete well in the development league, but they have surpassed everyone’s expectations by their performances over the last few months.

Happy Birthday to Glasgow's finest

We were formed in 1998 by Laura Montgomery and Carol Anne Stewart (CAS), who had a vision to create the most successful club in Scottish women’s football and compete at the highest level in Europe.

In our first ever season, we won promotion to the Premier League as First Division Champions and have never looked back.

Both Laura and CAS continue to fully run the club to this day and have transformed Glasgow City from one stand-alone senior team back in July ‘98 to a club with a community coaching programme, a full youth set up with teams at Under 9, Under 11, Under 13, Under 15, Under 17, Senior Development and first team.

In our 15 year history, our first team have won the Premier League title 7 times and have been runners-up 5 times. We have been in the Premier League Cup Final 7 times and have lifted the trophy 4 times. In the Scottish Cup we have been finalists on 7 occasions, winning 5 times. In total, our first team have won 17 senior trophies in our 15 year history, accounting for more than one major trophy per year, a statistic we are immensely proud of and unmatched by any other Scottish side in the history of Scottish women’s football.

Women's football trial first Friday night fixture

IN A first for women's football, Hamilton Accies will host Hibernian Ladies in the SWPL's first Friday night fixture on May 24.

The match at the John Cumming stadium in Carluke is a trial ahead of proposed future Friday evening games in order to help drive more fans to the women's game.

In addition to the fixture between two of last season's Scottish Cup semi-finalists, families are being encouraged to come along to enjoy a range of different events.

It is so something Accies manager Kevin Murphy has been keen to do for some time.

He said: "We wanted to trial this last season but we were not permitted, however this season we have been granted permission and we hope it will promote the women's league with an entertaining spectacle.

"Friday night games were trialed in the men's game last season which proved successful and hopefully we can have similar success this Friday.

Leanne Ross achieves Glasgow City legendary status

Written by Laura Montgomery.

LEADING the team out on to the field on Sunday was Glasgow City Vice Captain Leanne Ross. Not only did Leanne help marshal her side to a 3-0 victory over Celtic, but she started her 100th Premier League match for the club.

Leanne first joined City back in July 2007 and since then has won six League titles, three League Cups and three Scottish Cups. She has played every position in a City shirt with the exception of goalkeeper and only six other City players, past and present, have ever started more games than this true Glasgow City legend.

Captain this season with the absence of Rachel Corsie through injury, Leanne is a true leader and will without doubt be one of the most revered players ever to wear the City orange.

Speaking of her achievement, Head Coach Eddie Wolecki Black said: “Considering the women’s league only plays 20 - 22 matches then it really shows a remarkable consistency to be selected that often at this club in just under six years.

"Leanne is mentally very strong and tactically aware, so much so she has filled in a number of areas for us throughout her time here. It takes a strong character to play in a team where the demands are so high.

"There are also a lot of big personalities in this dressing room and the environment can swallow you up if you are not performing. Therefore it’s to her immense credit that she continues to reach new landmarks at this stage of her career.